A PDA Neuropsychologist on How Pathologically Demand Avoidant Brains Actually Work | Ep. 165

About this episode

Dr. Jennifer Huffman discusses her experiences and insights as a neuropsychologist specializing in Pathological Demand Avoidance.

I sit down with Dr. Jennifer Huffman, a board-certified pediatric neuropsychologist, PDA woman with lived experience, and creator of the Neurodynamic Navigator System and the Neurodynamic Quotient. After twenty-five years working with children whose profiles were called often called ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), she developed a framework to make the dynamic, fluctuating nature of the PDA brain visible and usable for parents, teachers, and clinicians. We talk about her childhood as an undiagnosed PDA autistic person, why ODD as a diagnosis isn't helpful, how she assesses children who cannot come into an office, and the app she is building to help families. After all that great insight, just her closing message for parents of PDA kids in burnout makes this episode worth a listen. Key Takeaways Growing Up as an Undiagnosed PDA Autistic Neuropsychologist | 00:02:48 Dr. Huffman describes a childhood marked by academic failure in math from third grade, severe bullying that led her parents to drive her thirty minutes each way to attend school in a different town, and the recurring experience of being told she was not living up to her potential. She names the specific mechanism…

People in this episode

Host: Casey

Guest: Dr. Jennifer Huffman

Topics covered

• PDA
• neuropsychology
• parenting
• child development
• mental health

Keywords

• PDA
• neuropsychologist
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder
• child assessment
• parenting strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Neurodynamic Navigator System, Neurodynamic Quotient, Oppositional Defiant Disorder

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